Quote

Although Rabbi Scheinberg was in disbelief and heartbroken, he told news crews, “Hate is something that happens in every generation, wherever it happens to be, but so does love. And love will overpower hate and the good will destroy the evil.”

I keep a running collection of quotes, and today was ‘Quote Day,’ where I sent one or two to each close friend. At one, I was at a loss. She’d seen my entire collection recently, including some of my best ones and the ones most suited to her. I picked a couple new ones I hoped would work and sent them off.

How was I supposed to know that the first one featured a favorite of hers? And thanks to being delayed a few hours in sending, I received the reply right when I most needed cheering up.

Friday, March 6, 2015

Hello, Old Friend

I met up with an old friend the other day. I’d spoken with him fairly recently, but it had been a while since I’d seriously opened up to him. I’m not really sure what made this time different, other than the fact that I’d been drinking. Still, for the first time in way too long, I felt heard, as if he was seriously listening. I spoke in that non-self-reflective way, opening up in a manner that I can truly do, only when speaking with close friends.

It felt good, but as I spoke, I had this terrible gnawing feeling. I started thinking about the fact that soon our meeting would be over. I began to become self-conscious of the fact that I better say everything I had to say, as I was unsure when the circumstances that had led to this conversation might happen again. I don’t know who is responsible for our recent divide, although I can’t deny that I am far from blameless.

So there I was, with a combination of the joy that came from opening up to a friend, combined with the recognition that I better not waste a moment of our time together. Then, it was time to go. Reluctantly, I parted, sadly taking my leave. Without turning my back, I bowed and took three steps back.
Yihiyu l’ratzon imrei pi v’hegyon libi lifaniecha, HaShem Tzuri v’Goali.

Thank you to the person who sent me the article, the person who allowed me to use it, and to all you loyal readers!

Seeing and hearing things that are upsetting, is, unfortunate, a normal part of our society. But since I’ve opened this blog, I’ve experienced more and more of them. Or maybe I’m just more attuned to them.

I try my hardest to make this site 100% positivity and good things, but the sad truth is that there is bad out there. Ignoring it doesn’t make it disappear. So why don’t I talk about the bad, to? Even just to comment that maybe we could be doing things better?

What stops me from throwing in the towel and becoming another cynical blogger, like, Hashem Yerachem (G-d should have mercy on them), others are? What is it that convinces me that we’re not just a ‘failed experiment’? After all, G-d allowed us to choose right and wrong. What stops me from believing that we’ve screwed up? Or, from a more balanced viewpoint, what stops me from condemning the bad along with praising the good?

I think that there are two reasons. One is that the bad often gets so much more exposure than the good. It’s so much easier to find about (fill in any negative example you’ve seen recently- I don’t want to cry more providing examples) and sometimes exaggerate the truth, then it is to find a good story and tell it. We know that the bad is out there. It’s in our faces all day. The good- is often subtle and small. But the impact is huge. For all those who are tempted to give up on good. Who’ve had one of those long, hard days. Who don’t understand why people won’t just listen, and stop the evil they’re doing.

And the second reason? The why? Because there’s a part of me that defies all logic I throw at it. A part of me that says that humanity’s goodness is not gone yet. That we- me, and you, and them, and the ‘others’, and everyone- are still capable of good. And not only capable, but that, when push comes to shove, we will all do the right thing.

There are those of us who won’t go down without a fight. Who will believe, no matter what. Who will do good, and act good, and are good. Who are the ones who will, loudly or quietly, in the news or behind the scenes, bring us to an era of peace.

So for both the cynics and the believers — this is for you.

(And just F.Y.I.- this is the last negative post I will put up here. When (if) I break the rules, you can quote me this.)